The Road Less Traveled
by Tink1
Summary: *Takes place after season finale* Shawns always been different then the rest of the gang. That's a good thing right? What happens when he takes the 'road less traveled?'
1. Default Chapter

~*AN*~ : This story is probably going to be through Shawn's point of view. I don't own the characters...don't we all wish we did? ;) The Road Less Traveled..is a poem by Robert Frost.  
  
The Road Less Traveled  
  
The poem begins two roads, and that's what it is. Two roads, two  
  
ways of life. The straight and narrow, and a curvy, shakey, dangerous  
  
road. The straight and narrow is all worn out from age and use.  
  
Everyone takes the easy way out. Everyone wants things perfect, and  
  
they don't want to stray from what's concieved as " right". The other  
  
road is over- grown, dark and lonely. Few take this road, because it's  
  
hard to see where you'll end up. But what if the road less traveled  
  
takes you to the same place, if you come out exactly where you would  
  
of had you taken the other road? There's nothing wrong with being  
  
different. Nothing.  
  
I screwed up most of my life. But what do you expect? I come from a  
  
trailer park. My dad barely worked his whole life, and spent most of it  
  
chasing after my mom. My mom left us. She just drove off and left us,  
  
and expected me to grow up fine. I hold nothing against either of  
  
them. Mom left, mom married someone new. I have a step brother.  
  
I'm thankful for that. My dad, well I can't blame him, because he just  
  
did what he thought was best for me. But he's gone now. So it doesn't  
  
matter. I almost got kicked out of school. I've been a runaway. I've  
  
done lots of stupid things, that surely should of messed up my life. But  
  
they haven't.  
  
I'm here in New York. Just like the rest of my friends. Cory's  
  
here, and we're still best friends. Nothing much has changed there,  
  
except he's married now. Him and Topanga finally tied the knot.  
  
Which is wonderful. Those two are my best friends and they deserve  
  
happiness. Angela's here. We're broken up right now, but she's here.  
  
Just knowing she's here, makes this a little bit okay.  
  
Eric's here. Eric and his goofball self, who always tries to make me  
  
laugh, and make me feel better. Jack and Rachel too. We're all like  
  
this big happy family. Even Feeny's here. Geez, you'd think I can't  
  
ever get rid of this guy. Except I barely have seen them. Minus  
  
Cory and Topanga, and that's only because I live with them.  
  
The poem ends : Two roads diverged in a yellow wood, and I, I  
  
took the road less traveled by..and that has made all the difference.  
  
But has it really? No, I don't think so. I'm still here, still  
  
with what little bit of family I have. Thank God for that. Even if you take the wrong road, you can still end up on the right track. 


	2. Chapter Two: The Way We Were

The Way We Were  
  
Memories litter my brain. They over take it, and fling me into  
  
the past. All of the things that have happened flood into me, and it  
  
seems like I drown in them. There's no way to excape, and no point in  
  
trying. Some of the memories are good. My first meeting with Cory,  
  
happy times with my Dad, my first kiss with Angela. But most of them  
  
are sad, and push the pain I felt forward, so that I can't let go. I'm  
  
getting better about all this. I really am. Soon, I'll be able to let the  
  
memories go. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
  
" Baby, where do you want to go out to eat tonight?" Topanga  
  
asks Cory, sitting there on his lap. Topanga's really pretty you know? I  
  
mean she's been my second best friend for years, so I usually barely  
  
notice, but sometimes there's these days where it's just like  
  
WHAM..look at Topanga. Today she has on a red shirt, her pregnant  
  
little belly protruding the rest of her. She'll be having a baby in a few  
  
months. Maybe it's her cute little belly that does it.  
  
" I don't care honey, what ever you think." Cory only wants to  
  
please her. I notice that a lot. He'd do anything for her, he loves her  
  
that much. The same way I feel for Angela, but also different. I've  
  
done everything for her. It just wasn't enough.  
  
" Shawn?" Topanga looks at me with those pretty eyes, and I  
  
see the worry. She knows me well enough that my silence, my  
  
listening to them talk means I'm going back to before, and that I'm  
  
slowly falling apart.  
  
" Um....how about...oh....well....Chinese?" I suggest, but I'm not  
  
really hungry. I don't eat anyway. I pretend to so that Topanga and  
  
Cory are happy. Cory isn't much of a eater anyway, but he's just picky.  
  
Topy is eating everything in sight, so that little one inside of her must  
  
be healthy.  
  
" Sounds good to me. That okay with you Cory?" He nods, and  
  
she smiles. " Let me go find the order out sheet." She gets up from his  
  
lap without too much trouble, and proceeds to waddle down the hall.  
  
" Shawny, my boy, you okay?" Cory reaches out and touches my  
  
knee. I move his hand away.  
  
" I'm fine Cory. Why wouldn't I be?"  
  
" I dunno Shawn. I was hoping New York would make you  
  
happy. We're all here. Jack and Rachel live here now. Angela too.  
  
Even Feeny decided to come after all. And I can't forget Eric. We're all  
  
together. So why aren't you happy Shawny?" He's pushing me, trying  
  
to get me to tell him how I feel. But I'm not good with my feelings,  
  
and I don't want to talk. Not even to Cory. Not even to my best friend.  
  
" I am happy. Really happy Cor." I'm sorry. I'm just tired." I try  
  
to make the words come out believable, but they don't. I'm not an  
  
actor, I'm a writer. I can't feel out loud, I have to feel on paper.  
  
" I don't believe you. But you don't seem to want to talk about  
  
it, so I won't push you. But you'll have to soon, you know that. Don't  
  
let it push you too far Shawn. Not again." Cory, pats my knee again,  
  
then gets up from his chair, headed off to find his wife.  
  
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
  
The doorbell rings and I answer it. Jack stands in the doorway,  
  
holding Rachel's hand. They've been dating off and on for about a  
  
year, until Jack finally put a ring on her pretty little finger. The Peace  
  
Core did them both good. They look healthy and happy.  
  
" Bro." Jack leans over and hugs me. He knows I needed that,  
  
just in one look at me. Jack has done his damnest to take care of me,  
  
no matter how much I fight him on it.  
  
" Thanks for coming you guys. It seems like forever since I've  
  
seen you last." I saw, and smile. I am happy to see them. This is  
  
probably my first real smile in quite a few days.  
  
" Thank you for inviting us. We missed you Shawn." Rachel steps  
  
into the apartment, and lightly kisses my cheek." How are you?"  
  
" I'm good. Really good. I am working on a book. A local  
  
publishing house wants to publish it." I'm proud of my  
  
accomplishments. I never really thought I would amount to anything.  
  
" That's great. I'm really proud of you." Jack smiles at me, and I  
  
see the pride in his eyes.  
  
" Well, lets go get you settled. We'll be eating soon. Cory and  
  
Topanga went to go pick up the Chinese, and Eric should be here  
  
soon."  
  
We sit in the living room and small talk until Cory returns. His  
  
wife looks exhausted, as she struggles with one of the bags. " Here  
  
baby let me take that." Cory takes the bag, and sets it on the table  
  
then kisses her. To anyone else this would be sicking, but it's not. It's  
  
beautiful. It's what love is all about.  
  
The table is set, the food is put on plates, everything looks  
  
wonderful. All that is missing is Eric. He's late all the time, so we don't  
  
worry. We're used to it.  
  
" Cory, will you pass the rice?" I ask and he does. After putting  
  
some on my plate, I look around the table. Everyone is different, but  
  
also exactly the same. Cory still has the same messy mop of curls, and  
  
the same puppy dog eyes. He still wears khaki pants and polo shirts,  
  
and still reminds me of " the perfect man." Of what every man is  
  
supposed to be, but most never amount to. Topanga is still beautiful,  
  
wonderful, caring Topy. My Topy. She's a lawyer now, she does civil  
  
rights case's. Her heart's still golden. The only thing different about  
  
Topanga, is the little one growing inside her. A beautiful baby, whose  
  
going to come out, and grow up to be just like my two best friends.  
  
The doorbell rings knocking me out of my thoughts. I excuse  
  
myself, and open the door. It's Eric. Standing there, just a smiling. He  
  
is the one person I know, who is 24/7 happy. He's never upset, never  
  
down. Just happy. Giggling, laughing, playing pranks, happy Eric. "  
  
SHAWWWWN, dudes. Check out this apartment you and my brotha  
  
have shacked up. This place is ritzy, dude. Awesome." Eric pushes the  
  
door completely open, and barricades me into a hug.  
  
" I've missed you too." I laugh, and lead him into the dining  
  
room.  
  
We sit in silence as we eat, but a friendly happy silence. It's not  
  
about the talking, it's about being together. It means so much more  
  
then anything else.  
  
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
  
I wish Angela could of came tonight. I'd of loved to see her. To  
  
just be near her. But it's hard, so hard. She's made it perfectly clear  
  
that she doesn't love me or need me anymore. And I have to respect  
  
that. Even if I don't want to. I just wish this wasn't so hard. I wish we  
  
could all go back to the way we were. 


End file.
